Dispensing Birth Control = Sin?

[mortify]

Is it a mortal/venial sin to dispense birth control even if state law says a pharmacist must dispense it?

Can a pharmacist be a good Catholic and still dispense birth control and Plan B?

[CatherineM]

If it isn't a sin to take it, then it shouldn't be a sin to dispense it. Plan B, that's another matter.

[mortify]

That's an interesting point, Catherine.

What about Plan B?

[CatherineM]

I would probably not ever consider being a pharmacist because I couldn't do the job in what they would consider a professional manner and be consistent with my faith. Just as an orthodox Jew wouldn't take a job at a pork rendering plant. I can think of a lot of jobs that would be difficult for me to take. I would have trouble being an OB/GYN. I'd have trouble working in some kind of sales job where I was expected to lie to customers. I'd have trouble working in a casino because I'd keep trying to tell people to quit while they were ahead. However, lets say that I was a recent convert, and had spent years of time and money training to be a pharmacist and supported my family that way, then I would try to get a job at the in house pharmacy at a Catholic hospital. If that wasn't possible, I don't know what I would do if confronted with someone with a prescription for Plan B or the abortion drug. I guess I'd just swoon. That way, I'd keep my job, but everyone would forget about me not filling the prescription.

[mommas_boy]

I for one find it so sad that so-called "Pro-Choicers" have used their judicial/political clout to limit the choice of Pharmacists in whether or not they can dispense birth control.

It's not about freedom of Choice for them, it is about freedom of their [b]c[/b]hoice, when they want it. Everyone must bend to their wishes. Sheesh, my little sister behaves more maturely than them and their temper tantrums.

[Balthazor]

I don't think dispensing birth contol is a sin, you can't be sure for what purpose they are taking the medication.

Not everyone on birthcontrol takes it for birth control. Sometimes it is the only thing that can treat painful, sacrring acne and sporadic and painful periods. (we are talking about not leaving the house curled up in a ball trying not to cry periods) And if the person on the birth control is not having sex and not using the medication for conception prevention then I don't beleive they are sinning.

Besides a certain amount of culpabity has got to fall on the personal choices made by the individual. We may be our brother's keeper but we can not prevent him from doing everything. In the end we can only really educate, practice and hope.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='Balthazor' post='1627889' date='Aug 15 2008, 07:00 AM']I don't think dispensing birth contol is a sin, you can't be sure for what purpose they are taking the medication.

Not everyone on birthcontrol takes it for birth control. Sometimes it is the only thing that can treat painful, sacrring acne and sporadic and painful periods. (we are talking about not leaving the house curled up in a ball trying not to cry periods) And if the person on the birth control is not having sex and not using the medication for conception prevention then I don't beleive they are sinning.

Besides a certain amount of culpabity has got to fall on the personal choices made by the individual. We may be our brother's keeper but we can not prevent him from doing everything. In the end we can only really educate, practice and hope.[/quote]
Exactly.

[mommas_boy]

[quote name='Balthazor' post='1627889' date='Aug 15 2008, 02:00 AM']Not everyone on birthcontrol takes it for birth control. Sometimes it is the only thing that can treat painful, sacrring acne and sporadic and painful periods. (we are talking about not leaving the house curled up in a ball trying not to cry periods) And if the person on the birth control is not having sex and not using the medication for conception prevention then I don't beleive they are sinning.[/quote]

I am aware that birth control can be taken as a form of medication for various extreme situations. However, I can say that the chemicals in birth control honestly scare me, because they work at such a fundamental level in the body by manipulating hormones. It's sort of like messing with the foundation of the Sears Tower -- everything else is built off of that, even the stuff that's not a problem. So if you mess with the foundation, the whole building is at risk of coming down. And there are many side effects. Further, while the pill may successfully and morally treat a chaste unmarried woman now, it will not be an option when she and her husband decide to have children.

I know that for every legitimate medical reason that the pill is prescribed for, there are many other medical options that treat the same problem. Whether or not they treat the problem with the same extent of success is up to the woman and her doctor. I am by no means ruling out the use of "birth control" for treatment of legitimate medical maladies, only cautioning strongly against it because of the risk associated, and the other options that exist, so long as those other options do in fact treat the problem.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='mommas_boy' post='1627991' date='Aug 15 2008, 04:34 PM']I am aware that birth control can be taken as a form of medication for various extreme situations. However, I can say that the chemicals in birth control honestly scare me, because they work at such a fundamental level in the body by manipulating hormones. It's sort of like messing with the foundation of the Sears Tower -- everything else is built off of that, even the stuff that's not a problem. So if you mess with the foundation, the whole building is at risk of coming down. And there are many side effects. Further, while the pill may successfully and morally treat a chaste unmarried woman now, it will not be an option when she and her husband decide to have children.

I know that for every legitimate medical reason that the pill is prescribed for, there are many other medical options that treat the same problem. Whether or not they treat the problem with the same extent of success is up to the woman and her doctor. I am by no means ruling out the use of "birth control" for treatment of legitimate medical maladies, only cautioning strongly against it because of the risk associated, and the other options that exist, so long as those other options do in fact treat the problem.[/quote]
Oh yes, I'd say there are very few (if any) conditions that truly warrant being treated with the pill. It is possible that not every doctor or pharmacist knows about alternative treatments. While I generally disagree with the pill being prescribed to treat something (as, in my experience, it often treats symptoms but not the underlying cause), I'm not sure it is always immoral for a pharmacist to dispense it. What I think, though, is that women and their doctors need to be truly educated about what the pill does, as well as the causes for various maladies.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' post='1628002' date='Aug 15 2008, 11:03 AM']Oh yes, I'd say there are very few (if any) conditions that truly warrant being treated with the pill. It is possible that not every doctor or pharmacist knows about alternative treatments. While I generally disagree with the pill being prescribed to treat something (as, in my experience, it often treats symptoms but not the underlying cause), I'm not sure it is always immoral for a pharmacist to dispense it. What I think, though, is that women and their doctors need to be truly educated about what the pill does, as well as the causes for various maladies.[/quote]

I have always had terrible cramps, and doctors always told me the pill was the best way to go, and I always said no. When I was in the hospital in March with really bad food poisoning, they gave me a medicine for the stomach cramps, and when I looked it up, it is also used for menstrual cramps. I have used it ever since, and it is the first relief from the cramps I have had in 36 years. It works great, and isn't in the least bit sedating. Doctors just like to take the easy way out. Now I just ask for the prescription, and the write it no problem because it isn't a controlled substance.

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1628033' date='Aug 15 2008, 01:24 PM']I have always had terrible cramps, and doctors always told me the pill was the best way to go, and I always said no. When I was in the hospital in March with really bad food poisoning, they gave me a medicine for the stomach cramps, and when I looked it up, it is also used for menstrual cramps. I have used it ever since, and it is the first relief from the cramps I have had in 36 years. It works great, and isn't in the least bit sedating. Doctors just like to take the easy way out. Now I just ask for the prescription, and the write it no problem because it isn't a controlled substance.[/quote]

Agreed. I would rather take a pain medication than a medication that actually messes with your hormones.

[mommas_boy]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' post='1628002' date='Aug 15 2008, 12:03 PM']Oh yes, I'd say there are very few (if any) conditions that truly warrant being treated with the pill. It is possible that not every doctor or pharmacist knows about alternative treatments. While I generally disagree with the pill being prescribed to treat something (as, in my experience, it often treats symptoms but not the underlying cause), I'm not sure it is always immoral for a pharmacist to dispense it. What I think, though, is that women and their doctors need to be truly educated about what the pill does, as well as the causes for various maladies.[/quote]


[quote name='CatherineM' post='1628033' date='Aug 15 2008, 01:24 PM']I have always had terrible cramps, and doctors always told me the pill was the best way to go, and I always said no. When I was in the hospital in March with really bad food poisoning, they gave me a medicine for the stomach cramps, and when I looked it up, it is also used for menstrual cramps. I have used it ever since, and it is the first relief from the cramps I have had in 36 years. It works great, and isn't in the least bit sedating. Doctors just like to take the easy way out. Now I just ask for the prescription, and the write it no problem because it isn't a controlled substance.[/quote]


[quote name='HisChildForever' post='1628038' date='Aug 15 2008, 01:30 PM']Agreed. I would rather take a pain medication than a medication that actually messes with your hormones.[/quote]

Agreed.

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1628033' date='Aug 15 2008, 06:24 PM']I have always had terrible cramps, and doctors always told me the pill was the best way to go, and I always said no. When I was in the hospital in March with really bad food poisoning, they gave me a medicine for the stomach cramps, and when I looked it up, it is also used for menstrual cramps. I have used it ever since, and it is the first relief from the cramps I have had in 36 years. It works great, and isn't in the least bit sedating. Doctors just like to take the easy way out. Now I just ask for the prescription, and the write it no problem because it isn't a controlled substance.[/quote]
I know. At 16/17 I didn't know enough to question it when I they put me on the pill for horrible cramps and heavy bleeding. When I finally said I wanted an alternative, they told me another drug that the doctor said they used if the person objected to or couldn't have hormonal treatments, and this other drug worked fine. Talk about being angry that they hadn't tried that one to begin with! Though I'm not sure I can completely blame my doc, as the drug reps were there every week giving info on the latest Pill, so that's what she knew the most about. The day the drug reps came was always the day we got a good lunch, as they would bring something for us (I worked at the office in high school).

[mortify]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1627836' date='Aug 14 2008, 11:23 PM']I would probably not ever consider being a pharmacist because I couldn't do the job in what they would consider a professional manner and be consistent with my faith. Just as an orthodox Jew wouldn't take a job at a pork rendering plant.[/quote]

The pharmacy I'm in right now dispensed three or for birth control packs this week, and that's compared to the hundreds of non-bc drugs that were dispensed. I just don't know if an entire branch of a profession would become forbidden just because *sometimes* bc's are dispensed, and at even rarer cases Plan B is dispensed.

[Balthazor]

[quote name='mommas_boy' post='1627991' date='Aug 15 2008, 11:34 AM']I am aware that birth control can be taken as a form of medication for various extreme situations. However, I can say that the chemicals in birth control honestly scare me, because they work at such a fundamental level in the body by manipulating hormones. It's sort of like messing with the foundation of the Sears Tower -- everything else is built off of that, even the stuff that's not a problem. So if you mess with the foundation, the whole building is at risk of coming down. And there are many side effects. Further, while the pill may successfully and morally treat a chaste unmarried woman now, it will not be an option when she and her husband decide to have children.

I know that for every legitimate medical reason that the pill is prescribed for, there are many other medical options that treat the same problem. Whether or not they treat the problem with the same extent of success is up to the woman and her doctor. I am by no means ruling out the use of "birth control" for treatment of legitimate medical maladies, only cautioning strongly against it because of the risk associated, and the other options that exist, so long as those other options do in fact treat the problem.[/quote]


It was the[b] ONLY [/b]thing that worked for my acne..... I had tried everything and went to three or four different doctors and literally tried everything. I went on anibiotics that gave me diarreah and made me sick, tried every cream on the market, one of them gave me second degree burns..... I am sorry that my body ONLY responded to this treatment, mea culpa. But this was it, I was getting some pretty nasty scarring from the acne, and my skin was always sore. I wanted to stop being "the ugly girl", and having a perpetually sore back, face and back of the legs.

As for my foundation.... I think I needed some more morter in mine because when I started the pill my emotions stablized, my periods stabilized, for the first time in my life I did not have to ALWAYS worry about sudden spontaneous bleeding and my acne cleared up completly, it was the only thing that cleared up my acne. Of course I still have scars from the years I just tried to deal with it, but I am happy because now I can look someone in the eye. Little kids don't ask me if I have chicken pox, and teenagers don't tell me I have bad hygeine because of my skin.

I was not dating, did not date, was not enticted into sex because of the pill. What is the problem?

I have a lot of doctors in my family they all condone it for my purposes, one is in ultra-sound the other is general practice, my brother is currently applying for med school my mom is a registered nurse and so is my aunt. I have done the research on it for websites for and against it, I know many people who have been on it for years (non-Catholic) and have had no problem conceiving.

Really there is little chance of a problem in reality, I don't smoke and have non of the risk factors. So if anything does happen I say it was meant to be.

The real challenge will be if I ever do get married ( ha ha ha ha like that ever is gonna happen) and I get to try and play geuss when the period is coming. I won't even really have the option to practive NFP if I wanted to because of it. But that is a long way off if it ever happens, which I doubt. So in the mean time I am not gonna worry.